Masterpiece Theatre: Downton Abbey Series 3

There have been few PBS shows that have truly captivated American audiences like Downton Abbey.  From the beginning, millions of us were sucked into the world of an English Lord and the ever changing world that his family and staff found themselves in.  After two dramatic seasons, the Crawley family is back and just when some are hoping to get back to the way things were, their world is shaken to its core.

This season starts in the spring of 1920.  Though things have begun to settle down into a new reality after the carnage of WWI, there is still a lot of upheaval at Downton.  Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley are finally about to wed, but there is a dark cloud overshadowing the festivities.  Due to some poor investment choices on Lord Grantham's part, Downton stands on the brink of disaster and the family are threatened with having to move to a smaller place.  A chance inheritance puts Matthew in a position to save the estate, but he's not sure if he should accept the money, and even if he does he has ideas about how the estate should be modernized to prevent the problem from happening again.  Ideas that put him at odds with his new father-in-law.

Tradition and modernity clash in many other areas as well.  The now pregnant Lady Sybil and her ex-chauffeur husband find themselves living at Downton after he has a run-in with the law in revolutionary Ireland, and Branson struggles to conform to her family's expectations.  Former housemaid Ethel falls into an unfortunate lifestyle and Isobel flaunts convention to help get her on her feet again.  Lady Edith feels that she has at last found true love with Sir Anthony Strallan, but his age and health give her family pause.  Anna is working tirelessly to prove Bates' innocence.  And things are about to come to a head for Thomas after spiteful plotting on Miss O'Brien's part leads to a moment that will threaten his life at Downton.  All of these problems are eventually overshadowed by two separate tragedies that will change life at Downton forever.

I'm going to go ahead and say what pretty much everyone else already has...this season of Downton Abbey was a bit of a letdown.  The soap opera feeling found in Season 2 became even more prominent here with recycled plots and seemingly endless storylines.  Many plots from earlier seasons were used again with little to no disguise.  And some characters stories just became unbearably long and drawn out.  As much as I loved Anna and Bates in the previous seasons, I began wishing that they would either kill him or set him free; anything to put us out of our misery.  Characters that I had grown to love somehow became caricatures of themselves and seemed to lose some of the balance that they had.  And of course, the loss of perhaps the most likable characters in the whole series was very hard to swallow.  Matthew and Sybil were in many ways the only people we could openly love and relate to.  I have a feeling that losing both in one season coupled with a fairly boring plot overall will cause some formerly enthusiastic viewers to change the channel next year.

Having said all of that, any blame for this rest squarely on the shoulders of Julian Fellows as the biggest problems seem to stem from the writing.  The acting is still superb all around from Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) all the way to the new kitchen maid, Ivy (Cara Theobold) and the production qualities continue to be a highlight.  I especially loved the filming in Scotland for the last episode.  And if there is any bright star in this rather gray season, it is the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith).  She continues to give outstanding performances and her witty zingers and compassionate moments make her the most well-rounded character.

Season 4 will soon be in production, and though it will be difficult to move on sans Matthew there is hope for the future of Downton.  This ship isn't so far off course that it can't be righted, but one more season like this one out of Mr. Fellows and there could be issues.  Only time will tell.  If you are already into Downton Abbey, then you will have already seen this season.  If you are new to it, don't let this review totally turn you off.  Though not as good as Season 1, it is still better than just about anything else on television.    

You Must Permit Me to Tell You...

It's Valentines Day!  Time to celebrate with roses, candy, champagne, and kisses.  If you've been following my blog for awhile, you'll know it has been a tradition over the last few years for me to highlight some of literature's most enduring couples.  Here are this year's picks:

Fancy Day and Dick Dewey in Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

You can't usually look to a Thomas Hardy novel for a couple who happily end up together in the end, but this is one of them.  Fancy's father had much higher expectations for his daughter's marriage, and Fancy herself wasn't sure if life in the village as a poor man's wife was what she wanted.  But the sweet and simple Dick wins her heart and convinces her that a simple life with the one you love is better than any amount of riches.

   "Come here, sir;--say you forgive me, and then you shall kiss me;--you never have yet when I have worn curls, you know. Yes, just where you want to so much,--yes, you may!"

Marianne Dashwood and Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Col. Brandon was smitten the first time he saw her, but it took a long time for Marianne to see what an amazing person he was.  Impulsive and romantic, Marianne learns the painful lesson that steadfastness and constancy mean more in a relationship than "romance".  Readers the world over rejoiced to see her find happiness in the arms of a man who truly loves her.

Marianne Dashwood was born to an extraordinary fate. She was born to discover the falsehood of her own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favourite maxims. She was born to overcome an affection formed so late in life as at seventeen, and with no sentiment superior to strong esteem and lively friendship, voluntarily to give her hand to another!- and that other, a man who had suffered no less than herself under the event of a former attachment, whom, two years before, she had considered too old to be married,- and who still sought the constitutional safeguard of a flannel waistcoat! 

Marius Pontmercy and Cosette in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

It didn't take words for these two to fall in love, just chance glances while walking in the park.  Though it seems that circumstances and the tumultuous life of revolutionary France will keep them apart forever.  But Cosette's "Papa" Jean Valjean discovers their attachment and eventually gives his aid to bring them together.  Happiness and hope are found at the end of this dark and tragic novel.

On the day when a woman in passing sheds light for you as she goes, you are lost, you are in love. There is only one thing to be done, to fix your thoughts upon her so intently that she is compelled to think of you.  

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in "The Hunger Games" Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Katniss has always been a survivor, life has demanded that of her.  But her time in the Hunger Games proves that sometimes you can't depend solely on yourself.  You need someone to be your support when you feel like you can't go on.  This is what Katniss and Peeta are for each other...a piece of safety and reality in a world gone mad. 

"My nightmares are usually about losing you,” he says. “I'm okay once I realize you're here.” 

What are your thoughts on these couples?  Do you have other favorites?  Celebrate the day with us and share your favorite romantic moments in literature.

Picture Credit:

#1 Keeley Hawes and James Murray in Under the Greenwood Tree
#2 Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman in Sense and Sensibility
#3 Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne in Les Miserables
#4 Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in The Hunger Games

Faceless Killers

“Justice doesn't only mean that the people who commit crime are punished. It also means that we can never give up seeking the truth.” 

It is no secret that over the last few years Scandinavian crime fiction has skyrocketed in popularity worldwide.  Whether it is Stieg Larsson's wildly popular "Millenium" series or Camilla Lackberg's novels set in her hometown, many people are finding themselves caught up in these stories from the north.  Arguably the most influential writings in Scandinavian crime fiction are by Swedish author Henning Mankell.  His Kurt Wallander series is his most popular and contrasts brutal crimes and deep cultural problems against a pristine and seemingly peaceful landscape.

The Plot:

On a cold winter's night in a remote Swedish village, an elderly couple is brutally murdered in their home.  The horrible crime seems to be without reason, the only real clue being the last word heard from the dying wife's lips..."foreign".  Ystad Inspector Kurt Wallander soon discovers that this case soon has the potential to ignite anti-immigrant feelings in Sweden.

If that isn't enough, Wallanders personal life seems just as tangled and hopeless as this case.  He has fallen out of shape since his wife left him, his daughter has become estranged, his father is getting older and in need of more care, and he is finding himself attracted to the beautiful (but married) young prosecutor he just met.  As he throws himself into solving the murders, he wonders if he will have the strength to face it and all of his other problems.

My Review (Caution-Spoilers):

I had heard about the popularity of Scandinavian crime fiction but had never actually given it a try until now.  I don't read a lot of modern literature and so had never gotten around to it.  I found it much more interesting than I had originally thought it might be.

Kurt Wallander is different from all of the detectives in the other books I read over the summer.  He isn't brilliant, he doesn't have this amazing insight into human nature, and he's not an eccentric homebody with a helpful sidekick.  He is simply human.  He has problems outside of work that eat away at him.  He struggles to connect the dots in the case.  He has run-ins with his fellow officers, the press, and government agencies.  In short, he is just like anyone who might find himself in that position.  In this way, I think it makes his story the most real and easy to relate to.  This doesn't feel like a mystery story...it feels like a true crime solving saga where things don't always come easily or quickly.

I also found Mankell's use of current Swedish social problems in the story to be very interesting.  If you keep up with current European affairs, you will know that ideas like multiculturalism and immigration have become increasingly difficult.  Over the last 50 years or so there has been a huge increase in immigrants to the wealthier European nations, but not everybody is happy about it.  In Faceless Killers, Mankell not only touches on the subject, but also shows how complicated an issue it really is.  The Swedish couple is killed by two immigrants, but another immigrant is killed by a zealous Swede as well.  There is no easy solution for this problem as many nations are discovering.

I truly enjoyed this story.  It was refreshingly different from other stories I have read with a antihero detective and issues that strike a modern chord.  I will most likely be adding more Wallander stories to my reading list.

The Movie:

Over the last few years, the BBC has created a Wallandar series starring Kenneth Branagh as the inspector.  "Faceless Killers" is the first episode of the second season.  I haven't seen any of them yet, but I have heard favorable reviews and intend to watch them soon.                   

Page to Screen: Les Miserables

It is one of the most beloved musicals of all time, and in 2012 The King's Speech director Tom Hooper brought it to the silver screen.  Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel of the plight of the poor in 19th century France, the film stars Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, and a host of others.  Though I had read the book and was familiar with the story, I had not seen the musical before.  Here are my thoughts on the film:

-I saw this film with a friend who had seen the musical multiple times and owned the soundtrack.  Like many other reviews I have read, she said that the film version lacked the overall grandness and majesty of the stage.  I attribute this to the fact that the stage and the cinema are different mediums with different effects.  On stage, most people won't be able to really see the actors, so they must convey the emotions of the story almost completely through their voices.  We are allowed greater intimacy through the screen, and so the actors can convey emotion with simply a look or an action.  Rather than being the main vehicle for the story as it is on the stage, the music was simply one of many aspects to touch the viewer in the film.

-Hooper's decision to not pre-record the music for the film was certainly a bold move.  Sometimes it works great (Jackman, Hathaway, Redmayne, Samantha Barks) and the raw emotion in the actor's voices move us deeply.  And then there are some who could have really benefited from pre-recording.  One person in particular was Russell Crowe as Javert.  You could tell that it took all of his concentration to simply hit his notes (which he didn't always do).  This caused him to not really be able to act his character out, and unlike with Jackman or Hathaway, he could never really convey the emotion behind Javert.

-The sets and costumes are good most of the time, though there was a sense of claustrophobia in some of the scenes.  There were also some scenes that had overly computerized backgrounds that took away some of the feeling.

-In my opinion, Anne Hathaway deserves an Oscar simply for her "I Dreamed a Dream" scene.  It is so powerful and the emotion so raw that you can't help but be moved to tears.

-Obviously there is no way to get every aspect of a Victor Hugo novel onto the screen, but the main bones of the story are there and flow together very well.

Though this film isn't perfect, it is still wonderful in many ways.  I defy anyone to watch this film and not tear up at either Hathaway's main scene or the grand finale on the barricade.  Hugo's story of the power of love and forgiveness is one of the most beautiful stories out there, and this film is a magnificent tribute to it.  If you haven't seen it, then do so.  If you have, go see it again.  It is very likely that this film, like its stage counterpart, will be popular for many years to come.

The Big Sleep

What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? In a dirty sump or in a marble tower on the top of a high hill? You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by things like that. Oil and water were the same as wind and air to you. You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell.

 Written in 1939, Raymond Chandler's novel The Big Sleep would introduce detective Philip Marlowe to the world and be the start of a series of hardboiled crime novels that would earn much acclaim.  It would be included on many "best of" lists including "TIME's List of the 100 Best Novels" in 2005.  Complex, dark, and interesting, Chandler's novel drags us into the underbelly of 1930s L.A. where the rich and famous are as prone to crime and backstabbing as anyone.

The Plot:

Philip Marlowe is a private investigator who has been hired by the wealthy Gerneral Sternwood to deal with the blackmailing his wild (and insane) younger daughter, Carmen, by a bookseller named Arthur Geiger.  Sternwood's older daughter Vivian believes that Marlowe has also been hired to discover the whereabouts of her missing husband, Rusty Reagen, but Marlowe won't say.

Not far into the case, Marlowe discovers that Carmen is caught up in a crime ring facilitated by Geiger's "bookstore".  As bodies begin to pile up, Marlowe discovers the motives and truth behind each one and eventually realizes that the crimes committed go way beyond a little blackmail.

My Review (Caution - Spoilers):

This is one of those books that didn't rank high on my list, not because it wasn't good literature, but rather it just didn't suit my own personal tastes.  Philip Marlowe is in many ways a "man's man" type detective and the whole story has a dark and hard outlook that didn't always settle well with me.

In his detective novels, Chandler was always much more concerned with the characters and the setting than he was with the plot itself and this is certainly true in this one.  We have a complex cast of characters, each with their own motives and vices, that dance in and out of the story.  The setting is grim and realistic, and each person is more than happy to back-stab another in order to protect their own interests.  But the plot itself is hard to follow at times and resolution is never wholly found.  For instance, it is never said who killed the Sternwood's chauffeur, and even Chandler himself couldn't provide an answer.

It was this lack of attention to the plot that ultimately dissolved my interest.  While I appreciate great characterization and setting, I'm usually more drawn to the plot, especially in a mystery.  I like to be able to follow along with the detective and see crimes that are intelligently committed and covered up.  Mysteries that are hard to follow and don't tie up loose ends just aren't my cup of tea.  Not a bad novel, just not really for me.

You may or may not enjoy this novel yourself.  While I personally would rather read an Agatha Christie or a Dorothy Sayers mystery, there are plenty who will enjoy this hardboiled tale.

The Movie:

There are two film versions of this novel.  The first is the 1946 version starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall with a screenplay among whose writers was William Faulkner.  The plot is still somewhat confusing, especially since some details had to be changed or omitted due to the Hays code.  It is, however, a classic film noir and a wonderful way to watch Bogie and Bacall light up the screen together.

The other is the 1978 version starring Robert Mitchum.  Though this version was able to incorporate more details from the story than the original version, it was never as popular.  I have not seen this one.             

Pride and Prejudice Turns 200

It is a truth universally acknowledged that January 28, 2013 marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice.  That's right, the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy has been delighting readers for two centuries.  In many ways, it is as popular today as it has ever been and appears near the top of many people's favorites list.  There are celebrations happening all over the world and there are plenty of ways to join in the fun:

1) Read or re-read the novel.  If you are one of the few people who have not read the actual novel, this is the perfect time to do so.  It is one of the best examples of Austen's brilliant writing style with characters that seem so real and vibrant.  See my review here.

2) Watch an adaptation.  Everyone has their favorite version of this story.  Whether it's Colin Firth jumping in a lake, Matthew McFadyen strolling through a misty field at sunrise, or Firth and Hugh Grant scuffling out in the snow, there's an adaptation out there for everyone.

3) Share the love.  Read the novel as part of your book club, host a party (tea or otherwise) to celebrate, organize or attend a dance...whatever you do, find a way to celebrate this great occasion with friends.

What do you love about Pride an Prejudice?  Have a favorite character, quote, or adaptation?  Share with us in the comments.  

Why You Should Be Watching "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries"

The world has had it's fair share of "Pride and Prejudice" adaptations.  Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier brought the story to life in 1940, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle created the definitive adaptation in1995, Renee Zellweger recast the story as Bridget Jones in 2001, and Bollywood even gave the story it's own spin in 2004's Bride and Prejudice.  But now there is an adaptation that is changing the way we enjoy the story, and it is taking the world by storm.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a web series that tells the Pride and Prejudice story as a vlog (that's a blog in video format).  Created last April by Hank Green & Bernie Su, it stars Ashley Clements as a modern day Lizzie Bennet.  Lizzie is a grad student majoring in mass communications, so she enlisted the help of her best friend Charlotte Lu (Julia Cho) to create a vlog series about her life.  Many of the initial episodes are filmed in Lizzie's bedroom and we learn about her life at home with her sisters, fashion guru Jane and immature but fun Lydia, and her parents.  When a rich (and single) medical student moves into the neighborhood, Lizzie's mom begins devising plans to get one of her girls married off, and the Bennet household is never the same again.

There are lots of reasons to enjoy this series.  The first is that the adaptation of the book to modern day California is perfect.  The writers do a great job of staying true to much of the plot, tone, and spirit of Austen's original while being able to make everything fit in with life in modern America.  I am constantly amazed at how they adapt specific plot points whether it's Jane and Lizzie staying at Netherfield or Charlotte connecting with Mr. Collins (Maxwell Glick).  Another reason this series is so great is the casting.  Everybody is spot on and gives a modern flair to each character while still paying homage to the original.  Ashley Clements is spectacular as Lizzie portraying her humor, intelligence, and "prejudice" in a way anyone can relate to.  And Daniel Gordh as William Darcy (introduced in episode 60) plays off of her very well as a professional, socially awkward, and slightly hipster version of the literary character.  There is a really great chemistry with all of these actors and it definitely makes every episode lots of fun.

What really sets this series apart from other adaptations is it's use of social media to connect with it's viewers.  The show makes use of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, and more to make fans accessible to the story.  Viewers can comment, characters will tweet, and the story uses every outlet to move forward.  There are even occasional question and answer sessions with Lizzie where she takes random viewer questions.  This all combines to make it seem like this is actually a real vlog and not just a scripted series (Lizzie would even question viewer's eagerness to see Darcy in the early episodes, insisting that she would never make a video in his presence).  I really think it is the interactiveness that has made this such a popular series.

If you haven't yet jumped on the LBD train, now is the time to do so.  There are 2 episodes every week (Monday and Thursday), plus episodes of The Lydia Bennet (Lydia's sporadic vlog) and Maria of the Lu (Charlotte's sister's blog).  Episode 79 appears tomorrow, but you must start at the beginning.  Head over to YouTube to start catching up.  You can also interact with the story via Twitter, Tumbler, and Facebook.  I am completely addicted to this series, and I'm sure any other P&P fan will be as well.